


Avian Affinity

by velvet_sometimes



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Adulthood, Alternate Canon, Alternate Ending, Avians, Completed, Dark Undertones, Decaying Labyrinth, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Jareth is an Owl for most of this, Magic, Owl Form Jareth, Owls, Queen Sarah, Raptor Sanctuary, Romance, Seelie Court, The Labyrinth - Freeform, themed chapters, thirteen years later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-01-27 22:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1723970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvet_sometimes/pseuds/velvet_sometimes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes we forget the past, thinking it to be a distant memory we can never reclaim. But sometimes, all it takes is a broken wing, a little kindness, and a pair of mismatched eyes to help us reclaim what it is we were missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Avian Affinity

Avian Affinity 

 

Common Barn Owl - Tyto alba  
Sarah maneuvered her old Ford Pinto down the dirt road effortlessly in the half darkness of dawn, deftly making her way to the sanctuary from memory and letting the chittering of her companions in the backseat relax her.   
She made this drive every morning at 5 am, and again at 5pm, usually with four or five of the birds in tow that needed extra care throughout the night.   
It was when she turned back around from checking to make sure the boxes with said little birds were secured that she saw him out the side of her windshield; a fluffy little Barn Owl hopping up and down on the road, trying to fly and unable to make it into the air.   
“Well, aren't you lucky it's me that saw you, huh little guy?” she mumbled, yawning, as she pulled over to the shoulder and put the grumbling pile of junk in park. “You guys just stay put; apparently you're going to get a new friend this morning.” 

\-----

Western Screech Owl - Megascops kennicottii  
Hopping out of the beat up red vehicle, Sarah went to pull her hair back into a ponytail as she made her way to the trunk -having to kick it slightly to get it to pop open- and rummaging around for her thick leather gloves and one of the extra transport boxes.   
Pulling them on and making her way around to the side, she paused at the window when the little Screech with one eye popped his head out of his box to hoot softly at her.   
“Just hold on; you'll get your breakfast just as soon as I get this guy and we can get back on the road.” She grumbled. And with that she was making her way over to the speckled bird who was growing more frantic by the moment. Up close she could see where one wing refused to expand fully; and wondered what had happened to cause such an injury.   
The animal finally noticed her when she knelt about five feet away to expand the cardboard box into it's proper shape, and is first reaction was to hiss and snap its beak at her, drawing back to try and escape but unable to get very far.  
“Shh, Calm down big guy, I'm going to get you fixed up, okay? You'll be flying again soon, I promise.”

\-----

Great Horned Owl - Bubo virginianus  
The bird cocked its head to the side at the sound of her voice, its hisses quieting as it stared at her in fascination.   
“That's right,” she cooed as she slowly approached the creature, crouching slightly so she didn't seem quite as big. “You're going to be just fine.”   
The poor thing twittered pitifully at her, hopping closer and looking up at her with its striking, mismatched eyes. “You have one white eye; how very strange. I wonder if you can see out of it; might have been why you crashed, silly thing.”   
He merely twittered at her again, ruffling is feathers slightly when she slowly extended her hands to grasp hold of him.   
Sarah was extremely surprised at how little fight he put up when she carried him to the box, looking up at her pleadingly as she closed it over his head and carried him back to the car.   
“Well, that was odd. I was expecting you to try and bite me in the very least.” She mused, placing his box in the passenger seat and strapping it in.  
The Great Horned Owl in the back seat hooted in reply. 

\-----

Snowy Owl - Bubo scandiacus  
The Raptor Rescue Center was absurdly loud for 5am; the sun hadn't even risen over the mountain yet and the main building was an orchestra of various calls and hoots.  
Standing out from the cacophony of sound was the shrieking of the one-winged Snowy Owl who'd become the sanctuaries mascot when she opened the door; the tinkling of the little bell on the handle being the bane of the great birds existence.   
“Morning Sarah.” A short, balding man from behind the desk called out when he heard her enter, not even bothering to look up.   
“Morning Mike,” she leaned over the counter, careful not to jostle the new owls box as she handed the man her keys. “Can you go grab the guys out of my backseat? I found an injured Barn owl on the way here and I wanna take him straight to Maggie to get checked out.”  
He took the cluttered key-chain from her without a second thought, rolling is chair back to stand. “Not a problem.”   
“Thanks. The Screech is in the box to the far left; and she's been trying to squeeze out the holes. You might wanna get her put up first and come back for the others.”  
He merely shot her a jaunty salute as he made his way out the door, causing the one winged bird to screech in disgruntlement again. 

\-----

Spotted Owl - Strix occidentalis  
As Sarah made her way down the hallway and into the small operating room inhabited by their resident vet, she spied the cages containing the other birds in critical condition.   
“Maggie? You busy?” She asked, placing the box containing the strange eyed owl on one of the examination tables.   
The plump, blonde woman turned from the small spotted owl she'd been wrappings leg to glance at Sarah and the box currently sitting beside her. “Mmm, Nope. All done here. What have you got for me?” She asked as she walked toward one of the cages to place the small bird inside.   
“Well,” she started as she opened the box, pulling out the large, disoriented Owl and placing him on the table between them. “I found this guy on my way here this morning hopping in the street. He can’t seem to extend his right wing, and there something wrong with one of his eyes, see?”  
“Hm...” Maggie leaned forward to gently grasp his wing, slowly unfurling it to inspect the damage and he tried to scoot back, hooting softly and pressing himself into Sarah's arm. “Yep, it’s a mid-shaft break,” She confirmed. “It'll take about two weeks after I've set it to stabilize.”  
She nodded, stroking leather encased fingers down the side of his head, provoking him to coo softly at her. “And his eye?”  
“I'll run some tests but from what I can tell, he was born with it. And he's survived this long, so I doubt its anything to worry about. You going to care for this one?”  
“Mhmm. I found him, after all. And he seems to like me at any rate.”

Barred Owl - Strix varia  
Her new companion was strangely friendly for a wild bird -oddly attached- and refused to leave her side for the entire day; hopping along the counter beside her, perching on her shoulder when she walked between buildings, twittering at her whenever she looked in his direction, even hissing once at the little Barred Owl that she was feeding.   
She'd never encountered an injured animal -or healthy for that matter- that was tolerant of people on such a level. But he seemed to crave her closeness; shadowing her every movement and watching her with a quiet intensity that seemed too intelligent for a bird.   
He'd even rode along side her in the passenger’s seat on their way home as if it where the most natural think in the world rather than something that should have frightened him, perching on her shoulder as she carried in the birds she was to care for overnight, and being so amazingly careful of his talons that it was surprising.  
And he was so infinitely patient while she placed the raptors in their respective cages, sitting on the open perch staring at her with a single minded fixation; heedless of the rest of her home save for the place she was standing.   
It was unsettling really, the way his white eye focused on her every movement. He reminded her of someone that she used to know, and she couldn't deny that was why she'd taken such an immediate liking to the creature.   
“I think I'll call you Jareth. You remind me of a man I used to know by that name. I think it suits you.”   
Her owl merely Cooed in response, ruffling is feathers contentedly. 

\-----

Fulvous Owl - Strix fulvescens  
“You should really be in one of the cages, Jareth.” she murmured as she pulled open the bag of dead chicks she'd set to thaw for the day, checking the temperature and marking the amount on a tablet before dumping them on a plate to take around to the various owls. “Just because you look a lot like your namesake doesn't mean I should spoil you.”  
She eyed him slightly when he twittered at her, hopping along beside her and chuckled slightly when he began nudging her elbow with his head.  
She pulled a small brown chick from the plate, going to set it beside him on the counter when he snatched it from her fingers. “Alright, alright, you spoiled thing; I'll feed you first.” She grabbed an extra sheet of news paper to lie on the dining room table; spreading out a few other mice down on it and making a notation on her paper before carrying him over to his feast.   
She ran fingertips down the side of his head for a moment and he hooted softly at her. “You really are like him, you know. Demanding my attention. At least you’re only being cute and not throwing snakes at me.”  
She then sauntered off to feed the Fulvous with the broken leg, leaving her new owl to stare at her retreating form. 

Black and White Owl - Strix nigrolineata  
Sarah was seated at the wooden table in her owlery, a large Black and White stood in front of her while she grasped his wings carefully through her thick leather gloves, bending and stretching his wings, extending them fully before furling them again.   
“Shh... There’s a good boy. This isn't fun, I know; but soon you'll be flying again and you'll never have to have some weird human put their hands all over you again.” she murmured soothing non-since to the bird when it struggled in her grasp.   
It lashed out in her direction then, but before it could latch onto her with its talons there was a shriek from beside her. The injured Black and White stopped mid swing, turning to face the barn owl who'd become her shadow.  
Her Jareth was slightly crouched, good wing unfurled and hissing at the raptor still in her grasp, blue eye focused intently on him as he swayed.   
She'd had no more problems with the temperamental bird that night. 

\-----

Great Gray Owl - Strix nebulosa  
It was late into the evening by the time Sarah was finally able to make her way to her bedroom, the moon shining though large bay windows and casting the soft textures of her bedding in light blue. Somewhere beyond the glass a Great Grey owl called out into the night.  
“You know,” She started as she made her way across the room to the small cage there, Jareth perched on her hand. “This cage is usually reserved for when I bring home sick birds. But since I don't have any tonight, I'm sure it couldn't hurt to let your spoiled feathers sleep in here.” she placed him within the confines of the cage, securing the latch before moving to her dresser to pull out her ratty pajama shirt she’d stolen out of her dads closet many years prior.   
“I think that's the reason I spoil you so. You remind me so much of your namesake, the Goblin King, that I can’t help it.” She told him as she quickly pulled off her work clothes and shrugged into the too-big t-shirt.  
Jareth stared at her intently thought the entire performance of her jumping up and down trying to fit clean socks over her cold toes. “He was my first love you know, even if no one else knows about him; I remember him. I miss him I guess.”   
Yawning, she raked a brush though her hair as she turned down the covers, before walking over to him to pet him softly though the bars. He looked up at her, fixing her with his gaze again and cooing as he rubbed against her fingers. “It’s your eyes; they're his eyes.”

\-----

Mottled Owl - Strix virgata  
Sarah awakened to the screeching of the little Mottled Owl currently residing in her Owlery, clearly displeased with something or another. And she groaned as she rolled over to check on little Jareth in his cage, who looked just as displeased at the interruption of his beauty sleep.   
She groaned pitifully, hiding her head under the pillow for a moment before finally throwing the thing against the wall, cursing her atrocious luck rather colorfully.   
“It was such a good dream too, Jareth.” She whined, flopping onto her back to stare at her ceiling. “Your namesake was there, and we were twirling around his ballroom. Only this time there was no Toby, no clock, no quest; we were just dancing.”  
The small Raptor fluffed his feathers at her curiously, twittering in her direction.   
“Yeah...” She sighed, rubbing her face as she rolled out of bed and trying to rake fingers though her hair but failing miserably at the task. “I rarely ever dream about him. It’s so strange. For a while there I thought I'd forgotten what his voice sounded like. I'd questioned if he was even real. But the way he croons to me in my sleep... it was almost as if I'd danced with him yesterday and not more than a decade ago.”  
She smiled at the bird, trying to shake off the feelings that where swirling though her head. “I really do wish I could see him again.” 

Northern Hawk Owl - Surnia ulula  
If she thought yesterday was a fluke, then Sarah was sadly mistaken; Jareth followed her constantly that day, and all the ones following. Refusing to leave her side for even a moment, almost as if he was afraid that if he turned around she would disappear.   
Until finally she agreed to just take him with her everywhere; volunteering to care for the injured raptor over the weekend when normally she would have refused to take home with her anything but the most critical birds.   
“You're just as spoiled as he is.” she grumbled halfheartedly at the bird; he merely cooed and nibbled on her ear as she traversed the isles of the grocery, occasionally leaning over to grab a random idem from a shelf.   
Children flocked to him; following her around the store and asking all sorts of questions about the Barn Owl perched daintily on her shoulder.   
“Is he a hawk? Can we pet him?” one small child in particular asked, and she could have sworn Jareth huffed in disgruntlement.   
“ Nope,” She cheerfully replied. “He's an owl. And I'm afraid you can’t. See, he broke his wing and he can’t fly; so he's not a very happy Owl. But if you ask your parents really nicely, you could come up to the Raptor Center up the mountain and pet some of the nice ones.”  
The bird on her shoulder squawked in indignation, flapping his good wing and glaring at her from his blue eye.

\-----

Striped Owl – Asio clamator  
Everything had changed after the morning she had voiced her urge to meet the Goblin King again. Yet, _hadn’t_ at the same time. There was an air of expectancy that surrounded her; something was coming and she could feel it, she just didn’t know what it was.   
Her new companion felt it too. Yes, she had named the small raptor after Jareth, but she held no illusions of the bird actually _being_ him; resemblances or no. Goblin Kings didn’t get wounded and stranded in the human world, only to be picked up by their nemeses.   
Life didn’t work that way; even with the edge of extraordinary and questionable convenience that her own existence held.   
Plus, chances where that if it really was him; he would have made it known by this point… Right? He was a king, not an owl; and the man in him probably would have been mortally offended at being fed field mice and baby chicks.   
She turned to spy him nonchalantly; watching as he and a little stripped owl twittered at each other. It was if he knew though that her eyes had strayed to him, and he gave a soft hoot in her direction; fixing her in his gaze.   
“You.” She stated. “Are not a normal owl.”

\-----

Stygian Owl - Asio stygius  
His blue eye fixed on her, and all at once she was aware that time wasn't moving correctly. _Something_ was wrong and she knew it was his doing. All the owls had quieted in the face of whatever power was circling them. even the little Stygain she'd been tending was now as still as death in his cage.   
"You're him aren't you? You're the Goblin King." She accused, pointing to him. “I don’t know how I didn’t see it before; It was so obvious.”  
He cooed at her, hopping closer to look up at her.   
“Why haven’t you changed back into a man? Why didn’t you _tell_ me?” she demanded, feeling mildly exposed and refusing to give in to the big eyed look he was shooting her.   
He cocked his head to the side before trying to move his injured wing and all at once it came to her. “You can’t change with a hurt wing can you?” the owl shook his head. “You could have given me a sign or something. I wouldn’t have said all those things if I’d known you were really a glitter-poofing, tight-pants wearing goblin king and not just a regular owl.”  
He gave a puff of laughter before nuzzling his beak into her stomach.   
“You’ve seen me _naked_.”

\-----

Spectacled Owl - Pulsatrix perspicillata  
He hooted up at her again, hopping slightly until she bent down to be face to face with him, to which she did ever so hesitantly.   
“What are you trying to tell me?” she pleaded, and he fixed her with his blue eye once more.  
As she looked into it, meeting his gaze, for a moment all she saw was the reflection of the Spectacled Owl’s cage behind her, the small raptor frozen within. Nothing to speak of as a message. But when he turned ever so slightly, she was suddenly seeing visions.   
Images beyond her comprehension, mingled with views from a tower overlooking the Labyrinth. A thousand scenes just like the one that haunted her dreams; of him coming to take the baby, played out in the space of a second. Images of the crystal ballroom though another set of eyes; and the faint melody of his song started to play in her head, interweaving with whispers of goblins chanting for their queen.   
“You were coming back for me.” She murmured softly, enraptured by the images in his eye. “Why now? Why after all these years?”  
He turned _just so_ again, and a vision of a clock came to her, the one from the broken room. And it was spinning so quickly she could barely see the hands, yet frozen in time. Floating aimlessly with then the space.  
She knew then.   
“13 years.”

\-----

Elf Owl - Micrathene whitneyi  
“Everything in your world revolves around thirteen doesn’t it? Thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth. Thirteen days of joy with my friends before they disappeared forever. Thirteen months of normalcy before my world began changing to mirror yours. Thirteen years until you could come back for me.”  
He cooed sadly at her and she ran fingertips across the side of his face, enjoying the feeling of his cool feathers on her skin.   
“Is that where you keep me? In your thirteenth hour? In the magic in your eye? Do I mean only that much to you?”   
He nipped at her finger then, glaring at her in reprimand and she yelped, sending him a glare of her own. “Hey, don’t get testy with me mister; what am I supposed to think when everyone stops coming to see me and my world starts to change but you are nowhere to be found?”  
He twittered at her meaningfully, coming forward to nuzzle her lips with his beak. And she realized that it was as close to a kiss as he could give her.   
Smiling sadly she pressed them into his feathers softly before speaking. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you.” And it was nothing more than a whisper before time suddenly came rushing back to them. 

\-----

Burrowing Owl - Athene cunicularia  
Somehow, in the space of that moment, Sarah had forgotten just how loud the world was. Everything around her was suddenly picking up where it left off, and her head pounded from the effort of keeping upright.   
“A little warning next time, Goblin King.” She muttered, bringing up a hand to rub her forehead as he burrowed his face into her abdomen. The world was a cacophony of noise and she wasn’t sure how she hadn’t noticed it before. A realization came to her then, and she looked down to him. “It’s making my head hurt because I’m no longer used to noise, isn’t it? Time was frozen for a lot longer than I thought.”  
When the Jareth refused to meet her eye she considered it. Considered how long he would have froze the world around them so he could remain with her; because there was no concept of its passage when captured by his magic.   
She sighed, lowering her hand so he could climb up to her shoulder, making her way from the room slowly. “I know you can control time, Jareth. Reversing it, speeding it. Why not do that now; until you are healed?”  
The raptor twittered sadly at her, nuzzling into her hair and nipping at her ear.   
“It’s me isn’t it? You don’t want to have to leave me.”  
He merely cooed in response.

\-----

Whiskered Screech Owl - Megascops trichopsis  
Things where decidedly different knowing that her little owl was indeed the king from her childhood, yet… not, at the same time.   
Nothing between them had changed, though that knowledge alone reminded her that she should have realized he was no regular owl in the very beginning. He was perfectly behaved -if not mildly possessive- though it was nothing she didn’t expect of man she remembered. The man she had unwittingly admitted her attraction of, to.   
But there was an air of expectancy around everything he did now; his mile long, meaningful stares, the way he would twitter nervously at her before turning in on himself. She suspected he froze time around them whenever she was the slightest bet affectionate, as if fearing the moment to be over too soon with another a long time in coming. Or if fearing that he might not get another chance too.   
She wasn’t sure what was wrong that he’d come to her as an owl, she mused as she took care of the little Whiskered Screech that had fallen from its next, but whatever it was, it had her praying he recovered soon so she could fix it. 

\-----

Colima Pygmy Owl - Glaucidium palmarum  
Evenings with her owl grew to be more and more eventful as the time passed; no one questioned her affection for the small bird anymore so she was free to come and go with him as she like, and he always returned with her at the end of the day.  
And on his part, he acted like the owl he was expected too; never giving a single hint that he was more than he seemed. In public anyway.   
Within the confines of her home though it was another story, as she so emphatically discovered. Without the unknown of his identity in the way; he took to being the lecherous king she remembered with ferocity. Using every available opportunity presented to him to remind her that he was indeed a man beneath those feathers.   
“Get out you perverted excuse for a bird!” She shrieked as she threw the loofah at the bundle of feathers, clutching the Shower curtain closer to her nude form in an attempt at modesty. “Shower time is me time; not communal time!”

\-----

Northern Saw-whet Owl - Aegolius acadicus  
Dealing with a entitled Goblin King trapped in the form of an owl while in public was a trying experience. He acted like a father with a gun, or, _egads_ -a possessive boyfriend.   
The man hadn't really even done anything that could be construed as a come on; he'd only helped her when she'd stumbled on her way down the steps and dropped the box of books she was loading into the trunk of her car.   
He was slightly attractive, -in a boyish way- Sarah would give him that, but nothing that would really tempt her. So she hadn't thought much of it when he extended a hand to help her to her feet, asking if she was hurt at all.   
In all truthfulness, she wasn't paying him the least amount of attention; she was more worried about Jareth having almost re-injured his wing in the fall. So it came as a surprise -that in retrospect she really should have expected given his little habit of freezing time whenever she seemed to dote on him- when he turned to the man with the most ferocious expression on his feathery face, coming forward with lighting speed that was probably a result of his time bending to dig his sharp beak into the mans finger.   
She could really only offer an apology and an explanation of him being a wild bird she was rehabilitating. The man wasn't the least bit pleased. He mailed her his hospital bill for the stitches. 

\-----

Manus Masked Owl - Tyto manusi  
Sarah was dutiful in her care of the Goblin King; former foe or not, he was still in her charge and she was going to make sure he healed as well as any other owl who found its way into her hands.   
Much to his discomfort.   
“Stop fidgeting; I've got to test your wing extension and make sure you're healing properly.” she murmured offhandedly; her focus on his wing and the feeling of the muscles beneath the surface.   
He cooed pitifully in her grasp, looking up at her with the most hurt expression he could muster, trying to inch away from the feeling of her fingers pressing softly against the appendage, feeling along the bone to test the strength.  
“Hush. I'm done anyway.” and with that she was turning from him to jot down a note on his progress, her demeanor and tone no-non-since when she addressed him again. “You're healing faster than I would have thought possible; a few more days and you should be able to fly in short busts. You're almost better; why aren't you happier about it?”  
The little owl nuzzled into her arm, looking up at her with a sadness he shouldn't have been able to hold.   
“Something happens when your better.” her tone softened in realization. “Something important.”  
The look in his eyes was all the answer she needed.

\-----

Guatemalan Screech Owl - Megascops guatemalae  
The passing days blurred together in a fuzz of moments; memories like snapshots of life and specific scenes that stuck out with a vibrant clarity against the white noise of forgotten details; all revolving around her feathered companion whom had grown more frantic to spend as many of those moments with her in the days that where dwindling down as the marking of his full recovery slowly approached them.   
Leaving Sarah just as nervous about the moment as he; each day she struck from the calender another reminder of the fact her time with the Goblin king was severely limited.   
“Three more days until I can say with any amount of professionalism that you're healed.” she murmured as she watched her companion circled her from above, his shadow in the sunlight the only indicator of his exact location in the sky. “And then where does that leave us?”   
Extending her arm, Sarah waited for him to slowly spiral down to her; landing against the thick leather of her sleeve with the barest of ease. “So no more hints about whatever mystery event is to take place once you can alter your form again?” she asked offhandedly; not really expecting an answer.  
But the bird perched on her arm merely cocked his head to the side, staring at her as if she was a rather interesting insect to which had caught his undivided attention.   
“That was a stupid question, huh?”   
He merely twittered in reply. 

\-----

Short-eared Owl - Asio flammeus  
Sarah would have liked to say that she was awake and waiting when It came time for Jareth to regain his human form. But she wasn't. She was sleeping peacefully wrapped in her blankets, her arms curling around her pillow to hug it to her form.   
And Jareth would have liked to have said that he awakened her immediately, being the perfect gentleman he was. But he didn't. He laid down by her side, staring at her peaceful face, looking almost happy in her slumber. Almost free.   
Gloved hands came up to trace her cheek, brushing a strand of her hair from her lips.  
“Come now, pet; you wouldn't want to keep fate waiting.” he murmured, a sardonic smile curling up his lips, almost as if he were laughing at himself.   
“And what does fate have in store for me this time, goblin king?” came her tight, tired reply; questioning though it seemed as if she were just playing a role rather than indulging her own curiosity.  
Both of them mirrors of the same tired wish.  
“Why not open your eyes and see for yourself, Sarah mine?”  
“Because it's peaceful here. It's quiet, for the moment. But once I open my eyes, it won’t be anymore. And I'll either wake up to all of this having been a dream, or be flung into another nightmare-fuel educing adventure.”  
“That is just a risk you will have to take.” he murmured. “Because the Labyrinth needs you now.”  
So she opened her eyes.   
And her bed was sitting in the middle of a moonlit garden, overgrown and gorgeous and filled with owls who just stared silently at the pair.   
“Welcome home.”

\-----

Unspotted Saw-whet Owl - Aegolius ridgwayi  
Sarah sat up slowly, gathering her sheets up to her chest and looking around at what was once a beautiful courtyard.   
“What is this place?” She asked, taking in the image of evergreens that grew over and around opulent sculptures and fountains. “It's not the goblin city.”  
Jareth sighed, rolling slightly to lie on his back and look up at the stars that were twinkling brighter than anything she'd ever seen before. “The goblin city you saw upon your first visit was but a watered down version for the little girl who needed to see my realm as a villainous kingdom.”  
Her eyes fell back on him as she followed the small form of an unspotted owl as it came to land on her headboard. “So you... changed it? For me?”  
“Were you not told once that things are not always as they seem here?” he asked curiously, raising a hand so that the owl could land upon the appendage. “Even I am not as I seem, my young, fae-touched queen. And the rules are much different this time. You are not running the labyrinth for your brother’s life.”  
“Then what _am_ I running for this time?”   
“You are not running at all. You've just finally made your way home.”

\-----

TAMAULIPAS PYGMY OWL - GLAUCIDIUM SANCHEZI  
She could have cared less about the shadows that hugged the trunks of the trees around her, casting the world in shades of moonlit blue. All Sarah could focus on at that moment was the Goblin king laying by her side, legs tangled in her bedding, and fingers softly petting the owl in his hands.   
“Jareth, what's going on?” she asked. “No more riddles.”  
“The labyrinth called you back.” he told her simply flicking his wrist so that the small bird would take flight. “You are no mere mortal, my young, fae-touched queen, and it was time for your return.”  
Sarah drew her knees up into her chest, leaning her head down so that he was all she saw. “Why do you keep calling me that?”   
“Because with your victory, you claimed more than just your brother’s life; you claimed the throne and the magic that comes with the title of its ruler. You named yourself my queen and walked out of this world without a single utterance of a goodbye.”  
Sarah immediately tensed at that, pulling back to look at the owls that lined the trees around them. “These are not just birds are they?”  
“No. These are your subjects, Sarah. These are Fae you've saved in your time masquerading as a mere mortal. They have come to witness your return.”  
“What?”  
“ _You_ hold this realms magic, Sarah. Just as I do. You must come to terms with the fact that this is where you belong, before your indecision destroys us all.”

\-----

Cape Pygmy Owl - Glaucidium hoskinsii  
Sarah slowly slid to her feet, backing away from him slightly. “Destroy you all? Queen? Jareth, _give me a straight answer_.”  
The Goblin King sighed, moving to sit up. “I do not know how to say it any more plainly This is your kingdom; you named yourself it's queen, just as I am it's king, and it cannot survive without you. I _warned_ you to turn back; my subjects warned you at _every turn_ that even if you reached the center, you would never find your way back out. Not really. And yet you refused anyway. I have you given you as much time as I can, Sarah. And now we are out of it.”  
She drew her sheets up and around her, almost as if to form a dress with them. Steeling herself for a long moment as she took in the vision of her subjects; looking to be regular owls, though she knew that there were fae beneath those feathers. “So they are... dying without me?”  
“We all are.” he told her simply, standing and walking around the bed to face her. “Our magic is leaking away, and without it, we are little more than creature and stone. Glitter and crystal.”  
Sarah was silent for a long moment. “So what do I have to do?” she asked, looking up to meet his eye.  
“You have until the thirteenth hour, of the thirteenth day, of the thirteenth year, -tonight- to take up your title and accept the magic that is coursing through your veins. By seating yourself upon the throne and partaking in our feast, you will call the lost magic back to us, back to _you_. But tread lightly, my pet, because this is a choice that cannot be altered once made; you name yourself as the Labyrinth's queen and you will never again belong in the human realm.”  
The brunet brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, looking at him curiously. “You... you waited until the last moment to come to me, didn't you? Why, Jareth? Why would you risk _everything_ by waiting so long?”  
His eyes revealed no emotion besides that what had already been evident in his gaze; a tired resignation. “Because I wanted to give you as much freedom as I could before asking you to cage yourself for eternity.”

\-----

OAXACA SCREECH OWL - MEGASCOPS LAMBI  
“You think I'll walk away, don't you? Even now, as you tell me that you and everything else here will die if I go.”  
He let out a sigh, lifting a hand to the sky to let another little owl to flit down onto his arm. “You know that he is a Great one?” he asked, almost curiously as he ran gloved fingertips over the crown of its head. “Brought to such lows; as he were a _mere_ bird. He is one of yours, if you hadn't already noticed. Most of the raptors you cared for are really fae; seelie and unseelie, great and weak, all _more_ and _less_ than real; and they all answer to your will. They instinctively flocked to you; to the magic that floats around in the air currents and licks at your flesh.”  
Sarah turned from him to look up into the crowded branches above their heads. “ _My_ will?”  
Jareth cocked his head to the side curiously. “Did you think anyone could have accomplished what you did; besting my labyrinth? Did you think me a _mere_ keeper of spells? I am a _king_ , Sarah mine, and that is not a title issued to just any. I am the king of ghouls and faries, of magic and time. My mortal title is that of the Goblin King, but the rest has been lost to time, and is far too brilliant for mortal speech to ever shape into words.”  
She lifted her arms, and the owls around them flocked to her, flying around the pair in great spinning arcs.   
“I told you once, that nothing is as it seems.” he whispered into her ear, suddenly so very close to her. His fingers were tracing over her flesh, feather light and tickling, leaving fabric that felt as light as spider webs in his wake; creating a dress out of the air and weaving it onto her body. “This is no _mere_ Goblin kingdom; that is just what you wanted to see. This is the realm of magic that very few ever return from. This is everything you've ever dreamed of holding in your palms. I made you the offer once before, but now it is time for you to decide if you are willing to trade your freedom for your dreams.”

 

\-----

Flammulated Owl - Otus flammeolus   
Sarah felt almost transcendental as she watched the owls that were flying around them, faster and faster; glittering in the moonlight and looking more like shadows than actual creatures as they became an impenetrable wall of wind and feathers. It felt as if she were locked in some dream that was too whimsical and fantastic to be real, though she knew she'd been here before.   
Though she knew the man at her back, breathing softly against the shell of her ear, was _no_ dream.   
“I don't want you to die.”  
“Such a self-sacrificing little thing.” he chuckled. “That has no bearing here, though. You must wish it, pet. You must know in the pit of your soul that this magic is yours. That this realm is _yours_ , and that you may shape it with but a thought. You must wish it, and you must _want_ it."  
she hedged for a moment, closing her eyes, and his lips found her ear again, a smile that she could feel against the sensitive flesh curling up his face to let fangs trace against her when he spoke. "Forget them, Sarah. Forget them all. Come with me where you'll never, _never_ have to worry about grown up things again.”  
She thought about the proper reply to that offer, but turned against it; they were no tale from a story book. Not this time. “Are you trying to be my Peter Pan now? You were never good at playing roles, Jareth.” she replied, just as softly, though she allowed her own smile to rise up and mirror his.   
“Tell me.” he whispered fiercely. “Tell me what it is you desire.”  
“I want _more_.” she answered simply, and the words were raw with truth. “I want to be so much more.”  
“You already are; you just have to open your eyes.”  
So she did.

\-----

Oriental Bay Owl - Phodilus badius   
There was a great feast spread out before them on tables made from the stumps of trees and vines that looped together to bridge the gaps between them; and at the head of it all, where two thrones. Looking as if they were craved from stone in some century past and left to the wilds so that nature could overtake them.  
And Jareth stepped to her side as she took in the image of the splendor around her, taking her hand in his. Fireflies looped around them and owls took residence of oaken chairs as if they were perches. Shadows dances around the gathering just out of the corner of her eyes, too dark to see, and there was the distant sound of drumming that set her heart pounding in time.   
Sarah allowed him to lead her toward the two thrones; helping her to sit, and through the bed of fallen leaves beneath her, little shoots of vines crawled up almost as if sensing her presence and weaving through the greater, older vines to bloom delicate flowers around her head.   
Jareth took his seat beside her, and a great owl swooped around them in a slow, graceful arch, a bit of dark bark clutched in his talons that he dropped into her companions waiting hands.   
He turned to her then, holding the parcel out to her, which held but three, bright, red berries.   
“This is your last chance to turn back. To turn back before it is too late."  
Sarah reached forward with little hesitance and grabbed the berries from his palm, and thoroughly allowed what was let of her mortality to slip away.

\-----

REDDISH SCOPS OWL - OTUS RUFESCENS  
Most adventures begin with an action. A word said or an injustice dealt. A prophecy or a kidnapping or a quest unfolding. And really, her first adventure, her _real_ adventure, had begun the same way.   
With a book, and a wish, and a quest to take back what she'd unwittingly given away.   
And for a brief moment, her world was an explosion of magic and life and unlikely endings hidden in shadowed wishes and crystal-ball promises. Her world was his world, and everything she'd ever dreamed of possessing.   
But then it was gone. Not entirely, of course. Her days still held traces of the extraordinary; the way the air would glimmer like gold in the morning light, her reflection in store windows always showing a precession of goblins shadowing her steps with banners raised, the way time always seemed to slow slightly in that space between midnight and 1am. As if the world had grown a thirteenth hour. And finally, the fae that hid themselves beneath feathers so that they they could come closer; thinking her to be their queen.   
And as she sat before their great feast, the moon and stars shining brightly down upon them and Jareth's hand clasped tightly in hers, she could slowly see them as they really were; as if opening her eyes for the first time.  
Dancers draped in finery and thorns, looping their way around them in a timeless dance that had been going on since long before her birth; the soft calls of the birds and creatures becoming louder, _more_ , shifting somewhere along the line into laughter and song.   
And as she turned to the man with the mismatched eyes beside her, she smiled at _his_ difference too.   
“Welcome home.” she told him, her voice sounding as different as everything else around them; quiet and little more than the wind whistling through the trees she knew he heard her all the same.   
He tipped back his head and laughed, the sound earthy and deep and rumbling like thunder.   
“Welcome home, indeed, my fair queen.”


End file.
